He Means Nothing To You
by pondlilyrue
Summary: He thought he had her. But, he realized he never really did when her eyes flitted over to Ryder's and Ryder's flickered to hers. -RyderMarley through the eyes of Jake Puckerman.


**He Means Nothing To You**

**A/N: **So, this is a new Ryley fic I cooked up! I was bored and decided to write past-Jarley and inevitable-Ryley! The song title is from Everything You Want by Vertical Horizon, and that is pretty much all I have to say. Enjoy!

* * *

He thought he had her. But, he realized he never really did when her eyes flitted over to Ryder's and Ryder's flickered to hers.

-:-

Jake Puckerman was a certified bad-ass.

He may not throw innocent bystanders into trash-cans like his brother, Puck, did. However, he managed to keep his bad reputation by playing girls. He managed to get into half the school's population's pants by his simple charm and disarming smile. But, in his sophomore year, he fell in love.

With Marley Rose, the school's goody-goody-two shoes. And he fell hard. Jake assumed their story was similar to one of Romeo and Juliet – two completely different people finding love in a judgemental place. He figured McKinley counted as a judgemental place where social stereotypes are the foundation.

Anyway, he managed to snag his way into Marley's innocent little heart. They started going out when he dumped Kitty for her (the blonde girl was _way _too domineering anyways). All seemed well when she allowed his hand to rest on her hip when they made out in his house. After a while, though, she always pulled away. Jake was disappointed, but he figured life went on. He did have honest feelings for her.

Life was good until Mister Ryder Lynn came around.

Jake had heard of Ryder around the school. The dude was popular and all the girls fawned over him. Jake had to hand it to him – the guy had swagger and a way with the ladies. Ryder wasn't a player like him, though, and he was a real-real nice guy.

But Ryder joined glee club, and it _all went down _from there.

First of all, Jake would be lying if he said he didn't notice the spark between Ryder and Marley. As soon as the two future lovers met, they stared at each other without even noticing it. He also saw that when Ryder handed Marley sheet music, they would both jump back like they were electrically shocked.

These times always made Jake narrow his eyes, furrow his brows, cross his arms and ponder what the hell he was doing with a girl who belonged to another guy.

Yet, Jake dragged out the relationship with Marley because he thought he was kind of, sort of, possibly falling in love with the chocolate-haired songbird. On the outside, it seemed he had all he wanted, but he didn't. Yes, he had her lips to kiss, her eyes to stare into her, her hand to hold, but he didn't have her heart _and that was what he wanted._

She had his, certainly.

-:-

One day, after school, Jake asked Marley to come over to his house. No, it's not what it sounded like. He just wanted to spend time with his girl. But, surprisingly, Marley shook her head.

"No, I can't.. I'm going over to Ryder's."

This sparked anger in Jake. His _own _girlfriend was ditching him for Ryder Lynn? What the hell? He didn't realize he said it out loud, until Marley flinched back.

"No... It's not that. I'm helping him study... H-he has dyslexia and can't read his own notes," Marley managed. Jake felt a stab of sympathy for him, but then he realized who he was symphazing with _Ryder Lynn? _Hell, no, not the guy who is slowly wheedling his way into _Jake's _girlfriend's heart.

"Whatever," he muttered, kicking the dirt off his shoes and walking away, anger tingling through his veins.

-:-

After their "study date," Marley and Ryder grew _closer, closer, and closer. _They shared beaming smiles in the hallways, innocently touched each other, had inside jokes in which Marley would playfully punch his arm, and Ryder would put his hand on her knee when they were talking.

With Jake, Marley grew more and more distant, spending more time with Ryder than her own boyfriend. One day, she came back to Jake's after spending time with the hearthrob, and her face was totally red.

Jake knew something happened immediately.

"What happened, Marls?" He said after getting one look at her cherry-red face. Marley put her head in her hands and groaned.

"I-I don't know how to say this, Jake.." she sighed, trailing off, and Jake knew he already lost her. Biting his lip, he pried her pretty face from her arms and looked her straight in the eye.

"You are breaking up with me because you know you are in love with Ryder," Jake said shortly and angrily. Marley's eyes welled up with fresh tears, and she was _crying_, and he was close to tears himself. Swallowing them back, he remembered he was a bad-ass.

"Yes," She managed through her tears, "Jake, it was never in my plan to fall in love with him. It just.. happened. And I can't go back; I just _can't!_"

-:-

Jake Puckerman would be lying if he said he hadn't punched ten walls that night.

He drifted into a fitful sleep with bloodied knuckles and whispered touches echoing throughout his head. He woke up still as _distraught_, and _angry_, and _betrayed._

At school, once he saw Ryder he pushed him into a locker. The guy didn't push him back he just stood there, completely calm and it _annoyed _Jake that he was so freaking perfect and worthy. "Did you kiss her?" Jake snarled. "Did you kiss her when we were dating?"

He was expecting a guilty nod. Instead, he got a firm head shake.

"No... God, no. We never even touched each other," Ryder answered. Jake's eyes widened. _Could this guy get any more Ken doll material?  
_

"Why not?" He spat out bitterly, still thinking of punching his pretty little face in.

"Dude, I know it's not cool to kiss another guy's girlfriend. Come on, do you think I'm _that _dumb?" Ryder asked him sincerely. Jake rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, Lynn, just _freaking _stay away from me!"

And he stormed out.

Jake felt somewhat guilty; Ryder had been so nice about everything, and he didn't want to help Marley cheat on him. It was just... _ugh! _He stole Jake's girlfriend!

-:-

Months passed, and Ryder and Marley began dating. They kept a tasteful distance between their relationship and the 'Jarley' break-up so everything evened out.

Kitty and Jake rekindled their old flame, and he found himself happy. Him and Kitty got on well. They both had nasty tempers, but they were good at heart. Sometimes.

Jake soon didn't feel unquenchable anger when he saw Ryder and Marley give each other sweet kisses. He didn't feel like Ryder stole Marley's heart from Jake.

Because she never was his.

He knew that, as far as Marley was concerned, it was _always _Ryder.


End file.
